How to Automatically Send Monthly Google Analytics Reports to Clients (2026)
To send a monthly Google Analytics report to clients automatically, build the report once with a date range of the previous calendar month, then schedule it to repeat every month from a tool that can email people outside your GA4 property. GA4's own Schedule Email only reaches users who have access to the property, so most agencies use Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio) for a free PDF schedule, or a client reporting tool such as MetricsWatch Reports, which puts the whole report in the body of the email.
Every Google limit on this page was checked against Google's own help documentation on 30 October 2026. This guide is on the MetricsWatch blog, and MetricsWatch sells scheduled client reports, so where our product comes up we say what it does and what it costs, and we point out where the free options do the job.
The five steps
- Decide what the client reads. One screen beats ten pages. For most clients that means sessions, users, key events, conversion rate, the top channels and the top landing pages, each set against the previous month, and two or three sentences from you on what changed and why.
- Pick the tool that sends it. GA4, Data Studio or a client reporting tool. The table below shows who each one can reach.
- Set the date range to last month, with a comparison. A monthly report that covers the last 28 days, or a range you typed in once, drifts away from the calendar month your client thinks in.
- Choose the send day. GA4 can take up to 72 hours to process events, so the first days of the month are the riskiest.
- Preview it, add your note, and send the first one to yourself. Then check the second month's send too, because that is the one that shows the schedule really repeats.
Three ways to send it
| Method | Can it email a client who is not a GA4 user? | What the client receives | What each new client costs you | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GA4 Schedule Email | No. Recipients must be users with access to the property | A PDF or CSV attachment of one GA4 report | A property user for the client, and a schedule that expires after 1 to 12 months | Free |
| Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio) | Yes, up to 50 email addresses per schedule | A PDF attachment, a preview of up to 5 pages and a link to the report | A copy of the report per client on the free version, which allows 1 schedule per report | Free; Pro $9 per user per project per month |
| MetricsWatch Reports | Yes, any email address you add | The full report in the email body; a PDF if you want one | One report per client, set up once | $49 per account per month for 2 reports, billed monthly |
Other client reporting tools, including AgencyAnalytics, DashThis and Swydo, also send scheduled reports. Our comparison of 12 GA4 reporting tools covers how each one works and what it costs.
Setting the date range to last month
In GA4, set the date range and any comparison on the report before you open Share this report and Schedule Email. Google's help page says the scheduled file keeps the filter, comparison and date range you had applied when you scheduled it.
In Data Studio, check the report's date range control. Google's documentation says a date range control starts with the data source's default, and the Google Analytics connector defaults to the last 28 days. Change the control's Default date range so it covers the previous calendar month, and add a comparison to the previous period on the charts that need one, before you set up Share, then Schedule delivery.
In MetricsWatch Reports, a monthly report always covers the previous calendar month. Each number is compared with the month before by default, or with the same month last year if you switch that on.
Ready to streamline your reporting?
MetricsWatch pulls twelve sources into one white-label report, delivered on your schedule: Google Analytics, Google Ads, Google Search Console, Google Business Profile, Google Sheets, Microsoft Advertising, Facebook Ads, Facebook Pages, Instagram, LinkedIn Ads, LinkedIn Pages, and Mailchimp. Starts at $49/month. 14-day free trial, no credit card required.
Choosing the send day
Google's GA4 help page says events can take up to 72 hours to be processed, so a report scheduled for the beginning of the month may be missing data for the last 3 days of the previous month. Google suggests the 4th.
Each tool handles the day differently:
- GA4 repeats on the day of the first send. If the first email goes out on April 15 and you choose Monthly, the next one goes out on May 15, so make the first send on the 4th.
- Data Studio starts on the date and time you set and repeats with the Repeat options. It uses your computer's time zone, which you cannot change inside Data Studio.
- MetricsWatch Reports sends monthly reports on the 1st, in your time zone, so clients get last month's numbers on the first day of the new month. The trade-off is Google's: figures for the last day or two of the month can still move slightly after the report has gone out.
Keeping it running every month
A monthly report breaks quietly. Nobody notices a missing email until the client asks where it is, so it pays to know how each method stops:
- GA4 schedules stay active for 1 to 12 months, 12 by default, then expire until an administrator sets a new end date. They also stop when no valid recipient is left, for example after users are removed from the property.
- Data Studio runs a schedule as the person who last edited it. If that person becomes inactive or loses access to the report or its data, the schedule fails.
- Every tool, MetricsWatch included, stops pulling data when the Google account it was connected with loses access to the GA4 property. After a staff change, check the next send.
The free options cost nothing to start and more to keep running. Every new client means another report to copy, another schedule to set and another permission the schedule depends on. That cost comes back with every client you add, which is why agencies with more than a couple of clients usually move to a client reporting tool, where the tenth client takes the same few minutes as the first.
Sending a monthly report with MetricsWatch
MetricsWatch Reports connects GA4, Search Console, Google Ads, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Mailchimp and more. You pick the numbers once, add the client's email addresses and turn on the monthly schedule. Each month the full report arrives in the body of the email, so your client reads it without opening an attachment or logging in. You can preview each send and add a note before it goes out, export a PDF, or share a client dashboard. White-label branding is included on every plan.
Plans are $49 a month for 2 reports, $149 for 25 and $399 for 100, or ten times the monthly price for a year. A report is one combination of data sources and recipients, so a monthly report to one client counts as one report. There is a 14-day free trial with no credit card.
If you also want to hear about a problem before the monthly report shows it, MetricsWatch Alerts watches your GA4 properties and emails you when a metric crosses a threshold you set, from $79 a month for 3 alerts.
If what you need is one clean monthly report your client actually reads, set one up at metricswatch.com/get-started and send it to yourself first. You will know within ten minutes whether it fits.
Frequently asked questions
Can GA4 send a monthly report to a client automatically?
Only if the client is a user on the GA4 property. GA4's Schedule Email sends a PDF or CSV attachment to people with access to the property, only administrators can set it up, and the schedule expires after 1 to 12 months.
What date range should a monthly client report use?
The previous calendar month, compared with the month before or with the same month last year. In Data Studio, check the date range control first: the Google Analytics connector defaults to the last 28 days.
What day of the month should the report go out?
Google suggests the 4th, because GA4 can take up to 72 hours to process events and a report sent at the start of the month may miss the last 3 days. MetricsWatch Reports sends on the 1st, so the last day or two can still change slightly afterwards.
Why did my monthly Google Analytics report stop sending?
In GA4, the schedule most likely reached its end date. In Data Studio, the person who last edited the schedule may have lost access to the report or its data. In any tool, check that the connected Google account still has access to the property.
Is there a free way to email a monthly GA4 report to a client?
Yes. Data Studio sends a scheduled PDF to up to 50 email addresses for free, with 1 schedule per report. For several clients on different schedules, you need a copy of the report for each client, or Data Studio Pro at $9 per user per project per month.
How much does a tool for monthly client reports cost?
MetricsWatch Reports costs $49 a month for 2 reports, $149 for 25 and $399 for 100. Our comparison of 12 GA4 reporting tools lists other tools' starting prices.
